Nearly two decades after the release of his classic debut, West Coast stalwart Ras Kass returns to Soul On Ice for a two-part follow-up album led by tough-as-nails lead single “Downward Spiral.” It boasts neck-snapping production by UK’s ILLinformed, and a series of grimy features from Freddie Foxxx and Onyx’s Fredro Starr and Sticky Fingaz.
With slick references to Killer Mike, Conrad Murray (the doctor who killed Michael Jackson), artist Dorian Gray, and wack trend-hopping rappers, Ras steals the show here with his attention-commanding opening verse before passing the mic to his talented collaborators. Each emcee offers gritty, raw, and timeless rhymes that ultimately point directly back to the hook’s message of flushing all the bullsht directly down the shtter like it deserves.